GTM #205 - A Game of Thrones: The Card Game - Watchers on the Wall Expansion

by Fantasy Flight Games

Far in the northern reaches of Westeros, the Wall guards the Seven Kingdoms from the terrors that lurk beyond. Hordes of Wildlings, ravenous wights, and the ghastly Others are all eager to pass the Wall and wreak destruction in the south. All that stands in their way is the Wall and the men of the Night’s Watch. Soon, your players will be able to pledge their allegiance to the Night’s Watch and speak their vows with the Watchers on the Wall deluxe expansion for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game.

Like previous deluxe expansions, Watchers on the Wall places the spotlight on a single faction — the Night’s Watch. Within this box, players will find cards to support new and existing deck types, whether they’re stealing characters from their opponent’s discard pile or finding new ways to defend ‘The Wall’ (Core Set, 137). Of course, although the Night’s Watch gets the lion’s share of the attention, every other faction receives new non-loyal cards, opening the doors for crafting decks and forging alliances. Finally, this expansion offers seven new plots (including one loyal to the Night’s Watch), ensuring that every player has something to gain from this expansion.

~ The Fire That Burns ~

If the Night’s Watch is known for anything, it’s defending the Wall, and the faction plays to this strength in A Game of Thrones: The Card Game. Rather than gaining most of their power from winning challenges, many Night’s Watch players prefer to defend The Wall, stopping their opponent’s challenges and triggering ‘The Wall’ to gain power. With the Watchers on the Wall deluxe expansion, it’s only fitting that the Night’s Watch gains some new tools to help them keep the Wall standing.

One of the first characters players will find in this expansion is a new version of ‘Old Bear Mormont’ (Watchers on the Wall, 3). The Wall is only as strong as the men that stand atop it, and there are few characters better at conscripting new recruits than the Old Bear. Whenever a player wins a challenge in which Old Bear Mormont is participating, he can choose any non-unique character in the losing opponent’s discard pile, and put it into play under his control! In many cases, Old Bear Mormont can completely dissuade enemy challenges, for fear of swelling the ranks of the Night’s Watch with defected characters.

Enemies who do come within range of the Wall will be forced to contend with the Night’s Watch defenses, such as ‘Catapult on the Wall’ (Watchers on the Wall, 20). This mighty attachment costs three gold to play, ranking it among the most expensive attachments in the game. Its effect, however, can be truly awe-inspiring. As an Action, a player can kneel ‘Catapult on the Wall’ and the attached character to choose and kill an attacking character with a STR of four or less. Though the attached character will be out of commission for the next round, the ability to kill an attacking character on command is certainly powerful enough to include ‘Catapult on the Wall’ in a player’s deck.

The Night’s Watch faction gains powerful new tools in this expansion, but other factions gain plenty of ways to combat the Night’s Watch. For instance, House Greyjoy gains a new character — ‘Salt Wife’ (Watchers on the Wall, 27) — that a player can sacrifice to prevent a character from defending challenges, giving a band of reavers the perfect opportunity to slip past The Wall. Or, a House Greyjoy player may play ‘Raiding the Bay of Ice’ (Watchers on the Wall, 28) after he wins a challenge as the attacking player. By playing this free event and kneeling a Warship location, a player can choose one of his opponent’s locations and put it back on top of its owner’s deck, forcing them to draw and play it again or exposing it to be discarded by pillaging warriors.

Players may even turn to the Wildlings, the age-old enemies of the Night’s Watch. ‘Rattleshirt’ (Watchers on the Wall, 39) can slip past any defenders that aren’t equipped with attachments, making him perfect for scaling the Wall and bringing down the Night’s Watch. No matter how players decide to besiege the Wall, Watchers on the Wall has the tools to help them do it.

~ Protect the Seven Kingdoms ~

No one can stand apart from the game of thrones — not even the men of the Night’s Watch. It’s up to every player to decide if they will guard the Wall - or tear it down. Players can speak their vows with the Watchers on the Wall deluxe expansion, coming soon for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game!